Chapter 24

Evelyn had never experienced such humiliation in her life. Fury and embarrassment burned through her veins.

Nathaniel dragged her into the bedroom without ceremony, throwing her onto the plush mattress with rough hands.

Clenching her fists, Evelyn spat, "Nathaniel Whitmore, you absolute swine! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Nathaniel braced himself above her, his dark eyes glinting dangerously. "Isn't it obvious? I'm going to make sure you remember this encounter vividly."

Tears pricked Evelyn's eyes. "I won't let you."

"Now you play coy?" Nathaniel's laugh was harsh. "You seemed to enjoy provoking me earlier!"

He ripped off his tie and unbuttoned his shirt with sharp movements. His voice dropped to a growl. "Choose. What position would you prefer this time?"

Evelyn felt the insult like a physical slap.

What had possessed this man?

Her voice turned glacial. "Is this how you always react when your pride gets wounded? Like some testosterone-fueled brute?"

"I'm not angry!"

"Really? Your clenched jaw says otherwise. Can't handle a little teasing?"

Nathaniel's nostrils flared.

He seized Evelyn's chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "You've changed, Evelyn. All those years pretending to be the perfect, demure wife must have been exhausting."

"Damn right," Evelyn shot back. "But it was part of the job description. I gave you the performance you paid for."

Nathaniel's jaw tightened painfully. "Then why stop now?"

"Ever heard of an employee entertaining their former employer after quitting?"

"You've grown bold, Evelyn."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," she retorted.

"Name your price," Nathaniel sneered. "How much to continue your services?"

Evelyn's eyes burned. "Excuse me?"

"If you'll spread your legs for some stranger at a hotel, why not for me? I'll pay double. Consider it a lucrative business opportunity."

Evelyn nearly choked on her disbelief. He actually thought she was some common whore?

Disappointment flooded her gaze. "Nathaniel, not all the gold in Fort Knox could make me sleep with you again."

She tried to push him away, but he pinned her wrists. "What's the difference? It's all transactional."

"Because you're terrible in bed," Evelyn snapped.

Nathaniel's face darkened with rage. "Any man would underperform his first time!"

Silence crashed over the room like a tidal wave.

Evelyn's breath caught. Had she heard correctly?

His first time?

Nathaniel Whitmore had been a virgin?

This revelation hit her like a freight train. Not in her wildest fantasies could she have imagined this truth.

Nathaniel's expression turned uncharacteristically vulnerable. He quickly rolled off her, adjusting his clothes with jerky movements. By the time he'd rebuttoned his shirt, his usual composed mask was back in place.

Evelyn sat up awkwardly, throat dry. The tension between them was palpable.

After three years of marriage, she knew Nathaniel's habits intimately.

The man lived with military precision.

Dawn runs. Cold showers. Meals at exact intervals. Work until precisely 11 PM. Not a minute later.

Every object in their home had its designated place. Symmetry was sacred. Disorder made him physically uncomfortable.

Nathaniel's life resembled that of a cloistered monk - all discipline and no pleasure.

Once, Evelyn had admired his self-control. The handsome billionaire with monk-like restraint.

For three years, she'd lived like a nun too.

Marriage to Nathaniel Whitmore wasn't matrimony - it was celibacy with legal benefits.

Given the hordes of women throwing themselves at wealthy heirs, she'd never imagined Nathaniel had remained untouched. Untouched until their disastrous wedding night.